THE INSECT ASSOCIATION OE A LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLEX. 
57 
Out of the 25 samples from both fields specimens of Neuroptera, cocoons of 
Chrysopa vulgaris, occurred only once in sample No. 7 of Glover’s Meadow, selected 
from the western boundary adjacent to the wood. The larvae had probably been feed- 
ing on tree-infesting aphids before descending to the ground to spin up the silken 
domiciles in which they spend their period of inactivity. 
it will be at once evident by consulting Tables X and XI that the majority of 
the species of soil insects, according to our census, belong to the two great orders 
Coleoptera and Diptera. In the first of these orders, again, they are ranked for the 
great part in the families Carabidse, Staphylinidse, Silphidse, Scarabaeidae, Sphseri- 
diidse, Lampyridae, Telepboridae, Elateridae, and Curculionidae. The kind of soil 
determines in great measure the species that may be present in any given locality ; 
thus, many Carabid species will be found only in light soils, whilst others are more 
frequently met with in damp and heavy soils, e.g. Anchomenus , Nebria (Table IV). 
Similar selective habits hold good for Staphylinid species, e.g. Tachinus, Tachy- 
porus, Xantholinus Oxyporus ( loc . cit.), for many of which the presence of decaying 
vegetable matter or humus is essential. Some, for instance, are invariably associated 
with dead moist leaves on the forest or woodland floors and, being negatively photo- 
tropic, will retreat from more open conditions. Species of Sphseridiidse, Silphidse, 
and Scarabseidse are associated with decaying animal and excrementitious matter, 
the species of Sphseridiidse being chemotactic to dung, those of Silphidse to putrefy- 
ing flesh. The larvae of Telephoridse often occur in grassland soil where they also 
pupate. Their food-habits are believed to be predaceous, but it is the author’s 
suspicion, engendered by observation and experience, that certain of them may also 
be vegetarian and even find nourishment in the products of decaying vegetable 
tissue. Lampyrid larvae frequent moist localities, where they are most likely to find 
their terrestrial slug-hosts. As for wireworms, any sort of meadow seems to offer 
suitable conditions, provided it is not too damp, and our investigation shows that 
the higher-lying and drier situation of Glover’s Meadow harboured these pests in far 
larger number than the fiuviatile pasture below. But it is just possible that the 
proximity of the former to the ruderal associations of cultivated root crops, such as 
potatoes and mangolds, — where examination showed that wireworms were quite 
common— might adequately explain this difference of infestation. The imagines 
often migrate from cultivated crops to meadows and pastures and, being the nearer 
of the two, Glover’s Meadow would be likely to receive the larger quota of migrants. 
Among Diptera, the families most extensively represented in the soil — generally 
in the egg, larval, and pupal stages — are Cecidomyiidse, Mycetophilidse, Chironomidse 
(a few), Bibionidse, Tipulidse, Stratiomyiidse, Tabanidse (in moist earth near water), 
Asilidse, Therevidse, Empidse, Dolichopodidse, Platypezidse, Syrphidse, Sarcophagidse, 
Muscidse, Anthomyiidse, Cordyluridse, Lonchseidse, Sapromyzidse, Sepsidse, Borboridse, 
and Phoridse (a few). The larval habits vary. Some are predaceous and forage for 
their prey, such as those of Leptidse, Asilidse, Therevidse, Empidse, and Dolichopo- 
